Kidney Medications

The medications used to treat chronic kidney disease can be very harsh to the body. The first drug I took was called Cellcept, also called mycophenolic acid. It is an immunosuppressant drug that is used to prevent organ issues and treats autoimmune conditions.

This medication gave me a ton of different side effects, which caused me to take more medication. Some side effects were swelling, anxiety, high blood pressure and more. The dosage was so high and doctors couldn’t understand why I was on such a high dosage when I moved to Dallas, but it helped.

So many side effects

Another medication I was on was a Rituximab injection also known as Rituxan. It is a therapy that can be used alone or with chemotherapy. This medication had caused me to have painful blisters on my skin, such as my mouth nose and throat. This medication started to affected my skin really bad to where blood would come out of my mouth and then when I peel the sore if left, it would be new skin.

I ended up having gastritis as well due to this medication. This medication I had taken after I gotten into a really bad car accident where I was hit head on and caused me to have problems a few days after the crash. I ended up having blood clot on my lungs. At the time, I also was taking Cellcept. With this mixture of drugs, the alopecia had kicked in significantly. I felt sometimes that the hair was just sitting on my head. In certain spots my hair will not grow back and each time it grows back a different texture. My skin would have blotches of discoloration all over my body as well.

Finding a medication that works

The current medication I am on is called Benlysta. It treats lupus nephritis, which is a really bad flare of lupus. By the time it is diagnosed, the kidney damage caused by lupus nephritis can be really bad. Each flare causes irreversible kidney damage, which ends up shortening the lifespan of the kidneys. According to Benlystahcp.com, Benlysta is indicated for patients for active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or active lupus nephritis and who are receiving standard therapy.

Some people say that this medication helps they hair grow and they love being on it. I actually lost my hair and it has not grown back normally. Like many other medications, the side effects of this medication is different for each person. I remember having a infection when taking this drug once that landed me on antibiotics but never bad enough the land me in the hospital. When taking vaccinations, I am making sure I take non-live vaccinations so I don’t have a serious effect like I did with the live ones. I have been on this drug for two years and it is not that bad but be sure to consult with your doctors to figure out the best treatments for your condition.